The tensions of WWII forced André Kertész to flee Europe, leaving behind not only his photographs but much of the recognition he had built up to that point. That legacy could’ve vanished if not for a resurgence late in life, around age 70. His early images played a formative role in shaping the genre of street photography—both through his work and through the inspiration he offered to peers like Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï, and Capa.

He also left a mark on abstract photography as part of the Parisian avant-garde circle, which included figures like Man Ray, and he was appreciated by artists such as Picasso and Francis Bacon, although there’s no clear record of direct collaboration with the latter two.

Born in Budapest in 1894, Kertész lost his father young and entered finance out of duty to his uncle. But by 18, he’d bought a camera and started photographing Hungarian countryside life. His early photos already hinted at his future—like the diagonally composed image of a man asleep in a restaurant. During WWI, while sidelined with an injury, he developed his eye with poetic images like Underwater Swimmer, Esztergom (1917), filled with mirrored surfaces and distortions.

In 1925, Kertész moved to Paris, saying, “I write with light and the light of Paris helped me express what I felt and what I feel.” With a Leica in hand, he explored unorthodox perspectives, helping define modern street photography. His image Chez Mondrian captured the minimalist serenity of Piet Mondrian’s studio and helped shape modernist photography—sharp focus, stark composition, and a rejection of painterly blur.

Kertész worked alongside Brassaï, Capa, and Man Ray, drawing influence from the Surrealists and Dadaists. His abstract Distortions series (1933), featuring models warped by funhouse mirrors, explored surrealist “convulsive beauty.” Commissioned by Le Sourire, the series was too extreme for many but found admirers among avant-garde artists.

From 1928 to 1936, he actively contributed to the rise of the photo essay format in VU magazine, publishing over 30 essays. An example of his long-term storytelling is On Reading—a project spanning 55 years that beautifully captures readers across the world. The preface says: “Kertész captured readers from all walks of life… celebrating the power and pleasure of this solitary activity.”

He fled to New York in 1936 due to the worsening political climate in Europe and the rise of antisemitism. But his poetic style didn’t land in America, and he struggled until joining House & Garden in 1947. The job paid, but he called these his “lost years.” Still, during this time he developed a cubist visual language through rooftop views from his 12th-floor apartment, often emphasizing geometric form and light contrast.

In 1962, he left commercial work, entered his “international period,” and began exhibiting globally. Previously unseen negatives—left for safekeeping in Paris before WWII—were rediscovered and helped revive his reputation. Exhibitions followed in Venice, Paris, Tokyo, and beyond, as did major publications including On Reading and Distortions.

Later in life, following the death of his wife, Kertész turned inward and began working with a Polaroid SX-70. He created poetic still lifes, often filled with emotion that helped him work through the sadness of his loss.

André Kertész died in 1985 at 91, leaving behind a body of work that helped shape street, abstract, and surrealist photography—and a legacy of emotional, poetic vision.